Tubing bleeder



March 5, 1929. v, CQQWELL 1,704,383

TUBING BLEEDER Filed July 19, 1926 INVENTOR. 670 .L C/on/e/l BY/KQ A TTORNE Y.

Patented Mar. 5, 1929.

UNITED STATES a: I ERD V. CROWELL, LOS ANGELES; CALIFORNIA.

TUBING BLEEDER.

Application filed July 19,

This invention is a tubing bleeder of the general type disclosed in my co-pending application Serial No. 31,018, filed May 18, 1925, and which is normally maintained in 6 closed position but is adapted to be readily opened by shifting a string of tubingin a well; and it is the object of the invention to anchor the tubing in a well, either manually at any desired elevation or automatically in the event of the tubing breaking, with the anchoring means in the present instance having a positive spring actuating means instead of being actuated simply by the fall of the string of tubing as described in my above mentioned co-pending application, and the bleeder control connected to the anchoring means so as to provide an extremely simple but practical construction. I

The invention will be readily understood from the following description of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in axial section, of a tubing bleeder constructed in accordance with the invention and shown in closed position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the tubing bleeder open.

Figs. 3 and 4 are transverse sections on the lines 33 and 44 of Fig. 1.

the well bore 2, and a string of tubing 3 extends downwardly through the casing in spaced relation from the wall thereof. A tubing catcher of the conventional s ring and weight ty e is adapted for limit sliding of the entlre string of tubing relative thereto; and by providing a normally closed port in the string of tubing and opening said port by the limited sliding movement of the string of tubing relative to the anchored. catcher, a practical and efficient tubing bleeder is formed. The normally closed port which is adapted to form the tubing bleeder is provided in a length of pipe at connected by upper andlower coupling collars 5-43 to the ends of next adjacent lengths of the string .of tubing 3 in order that the bleeder may be positioned in, the. well atany desired level. i

A sleeve 7 is slidably mounted on pipe 4 and is adapted to normally close the bleeder port 6 provided in the pipe; and the sleeve is provided with a port 8 which is adapted to aline with the .bleeder port when. pipe 4 Be A usual string of easing 1 extends into is shifted downwardly through the sleeve,

1926. Serial No. 123,390.

thereby opening the bleeder port. When, the construction embodies the use of the sleeve 7 as a closure means for a bleeder port, the bore of the sleeve is preferably provided with an elongated annular recess 9 communicating with port 8, so that any up preciable shifting ofv ipe 4 through the sleeve will permit fiui to drain from the i the pipe between the packing gland and the upper.coupling collar 5 in order to yield-. ably shift the sleeve downwardly on the pipe to normally close port 6. Downward movement of the sleeve for closing the portis preferably limited byabutment of itslower end against a shoulder 12 on pipe 4.

' After lowering the stringof tubin with the tubing bleeder forming a length t ereof, sleeve 7 is fixed against axial displacement so that further lowering of the string of tubing will shift pipe 4 downwardly through the sleeve for alining ports -8.

As an instance of this arrangement a slip support 13 is slidable on pipe 4 below sleeve 7, and spring arms 14 extend upwardlyirom the slip support with slips 16 carriedb the spring arms, adapted for expansion by s eeve 7 to engage the wallof casing 1 and thereby lock the sleeve against axial movement. For

this purpose the lower end of sleeve 7 tapers i downwardly to form a wedge 17 which slides down in back of the slips for expanding them when pipe 4 and sleeve 7 are lowered relative to the slip support.

A coil spring 18 is mounted on pipe 4 between the lower end of slip support 13 and i the lower coupling collar 5, so that the spring is normally compressed by the weight of the slips and their support, thereby positioning the slips in inoperative position below wedge 17 as shown in ;Fig. 1. If the string of tubing breaks so that it drops suddenly, the spring 18 tends to retard the fall of the slips which are thereby expanded by the wedge 17 so as to engage the wall of casing 1 and automatically lockthe sleeve 7 against further axial displacement. Con tinned dropping of the string of tubing by the sliding of pipe l through the fixed sleeve will then compress spring 11 between collar 5 and packing gland 10 so as to loci; the string of tubing against further dropping when the spring is compressed to its limit a 7 at its upper end terniinating in a relatively short depending slot 23. Lug 24 which may been the coupling collar 5 slidable in the slots, and when seated in the slot 28 limits sliding oi pipe l relative to sleeve 20 so as to space the sleeve from slip support 13. Bowed. spi. s 25 depend trom sleeve 20 and are connected at their lower ends by a collar 26 which is slidable on the string of tubing; and these springs trictionally engage the wall of the well casing to hold the sleeve 20 against turning. As a consequence the string of tubing may be turned relative to sleeve 20 so as tomove lug along? transverse slot 22 and into alineinent with slot 21; and with the parts in this position, lowering the string of tubing will move he lug 2 ldownwar dly in slot 21 and thus shift the wedge 17 into position for engagement by the slips 16, which are retained in elevated position by the spring 18 and the abutment of slip support 13 against the sleeve 20 held against axial displacement by its springs 25. 1

Sleeve 7 is thus held against axial displacement by the locking engagement of the slips, and the bleeder is then readily opened by further lowering the string of tubing so as to slide pipe 4 through the fixed sleeve against the tension of spring 11 until ports 68 are in alinement.

When the string of tubing has been drained and it is desired to withdraw the same from the well, bleeder port6 is first closed by pipe 4. sliding upwardly tl'lrough the fixed sleeve 7, and continued elevation of the tubing then lifts sleeve 7 by the ubutment of shoulder 12 so that the wcdging engagement 0t slips 16 is released. The string of tubing may then be readily withdrawn with the anchoring means carried upwardly with the tubing by the abutment 0t lug 24 against. the upper end of slot 21.

Preparatory to running the tubing into the casing bore, the tubing is turned so that lugQel seats in slot 23, thereby rendering the manually controlled anchoring means inoperative; and when the tubing is at the desired level it is first elevated slightly relative to sleeve 20 which is held by its springs 25, thereby alining the lug 2a with ransverse slot- 22 so that the tubing may be turned and then lowered for anchoring the same as previously described.

lVhcn pulling the string of tubing from the well it preterably retained in position with lug 2% in alinement with slot 21, so that the manually controlled means is automatically operative "for catching the tubing in the event oi breakage, irrespective of the functioning 0t spring l8 ot the automatic catcher. The safety factor of the automatic anchor is thus increased when pulling tubing.

I claim:

1. A tubing blccder for a string of tubing comprising a ported conduit forming a fixed section of the entire string of tubing, means for normally closing the conduit portadapted for axial movement of the entire string of tubing relative to the closure means for opening the port, cushioning means adapted to limitsaid axial movement of the entire string of tubing relative to the closure means,

expanding means forming a part of the closure means, a slip support, slips on said support, a spring having the slip support mounted thereon and normally compressed by the weight of the slip support to space the slips from the expanding means but adapted for expansion to engage the slips bythe expanding means in the event of sod den dropping of the string of tubing, a sleeve frictionally held to permit movement of the tubing relative thereto, and means for releasably locking said sleeve and tubing against relative movement, said relative movement between the tubing and sleeve causing the sleeve to engage the slip support for expanding the slips by the expanding means.

2. A tubing bleedcr for a string of tubing comprising a ported conduit forming a fixed section of the entire string of tubing, means for normally closing the conduit port adapt ed for axial movement of the entire string of tubing relative tothe closure means for opening the port, means for limiting said axial movement of the entire string of tubing relative to the closure means, means for ai'ichoring the closure means against axial movement, automatic means including a spring normally compressed but adapted for expansion to positively actuate the anchoring means in the event of sudden dropping of the tubing, and means for 1nanually actuating the anchoring means at any desired level in a well.

3; A tubing bleeder for a string of tubing comprising a ported conduit forming a fixed section of the entire string of tubing, means for normally closing the conduit port, adapted for axial movement of the entire string out tubing relative to the closure means for openiug the port, means for limiting said axial movement of the entire string of tubing relative to the closure means, means for anchoring the closure means against axial movement, and automatic means including a spring normally compressed but adapted for expansion to positively actuate the anchoring means in the event of sudden dropping of the tubing.

4. A tubing bleeder for a string of tubing comprising a ported conduit forming a fixed section of the entire string of tubing, means for normally closing the conduit port adapted for axial movement of the entire string of tubing relative to the closure means, for opening the port, means for limiting said axial movement of the entire string of tubing relative to the closure means, means for anchoring the closure means against axial movement, automatic means including a spring normally compressed but adapted for expansion to positively actuate the anchoring means in the event of sudden dropping of the tubing, and means for manually actu ating the anchoring means at any desired level in a Well, said manual actuation being adapted to be shifted to a position where it will become automatically operative in the event of dropping of the tubing to augment the safety factor of the automatic actuation.

5. A tubing bleeder for a string of tubing comprising a ported conduit forming a fixed section of the entire string of tubing, means for normally closing the conduit port adapted for axial movement of the entire string of tubing relative to the closure means for opening the port, cushioning means adapted to limit said axial movement of the entire string of tubing relative to the closure means, means for anchoring the closure means against axial movement, and automatic means including a V s ring normally compressed but adapted or expansion to positively actuate the anchoring means in the event of sudden dro ping of the tubing.

6. A tubingbleecir comprising a ported conduit forming a fixed section of an entire string of tubing, means for normally closing but adapted for expansion to engage the slips by the expanding means in the event of sudden dropping of the string of tubing.

7 A tubing bleeder comprising a ported conduit forming a fixed section of an entire string of tubing, means for normally closing the conduitport adapted for movement of the entire string of tubing relative to said closure means for opening the port, cushioning means for limiting axialmovement of the entire string of tubing relative to the closure means, means for anchoring the closure means against axial'movement, automatic means including a spring normally compressed but adapted for expansion to positively actuate the anchoring means in the event of sudden dropping of the tubing, and means for manually actuating the anchoring means at any desired level m a well.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

ERD V. CROWELL. 

